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A lot of work has been put into Crush Recovery recently, and since the last update I’ve also started working on a second JK dubbed Crimson Sol! Within the past few weeks I’ve finished installed the following:

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Finally got the Rugged Ridge Aluminum XHD front and rear bumpers installed, along with the tire carrier, and winch as well. The build is really starting to come together and is looking more and more like the rendering every day!

to have the entire interior floor Rhino Lined. Rhino Lining offers better protection and is more rugged than the stock carpet. I stripped out all of the carpet myself, and prepped everything for them to do the lining job. Check out the before and after!

Today I’ve installed the exhaust and receiver hitch, both from Rugged Ridge. No issues with the install process on either part, but removing the factory exhaust… well, that’s another story. One of the hangers on the muffler seemed to be really seized up, so I had to resort to cutting it to remove it, which you’ll see in the photos. The new exhaust definitely gives a good power increase, and has a nice sound from the dual exit exhaust.

In the past I’ve run 40″ and up sized tires, but this time around decided to go with something a little less aggressive in size. I chose to go with 37″ Nitto Trail Grapplers, they have great reviews for off road and on road use. They are extremely capable off road, but still give a nice and quiet ride on the road.

I’ve mounted the tires on a set of 17×9 Rugged Ridge Satin Black Alloy JK Wheels. These wheels have a great design, and Rugged Ridge also offers trim rings to help protect the wheels. I’ve matched the trim rings to the color of the Jeep. Check out the before and after pics below:

The last update was pretty hefty, so from now on I’ll try to update with one part of the build at a time. This next part of the exterior changes includes upgrading the tail lights and adding some tail light euro guards. I’ve swapped out the stock tail lights with some Bermuda Black LED lights from IPCW. LED’s are great because they are much brighter and last longer than normal lights, and these also look awesome with the black finish!

Now on to the Rugged Ridge Tail Light Euro Guards. These are great accessories for tail light protection and they look really good too. They fit on stock lights and same size aftermarket lights, like the IPCW LED’s I’ve installed. They’re also offered in a stainless/chrome finish.

Everything was very easy to install, more or less just a few screws and I was done!

Hey guys! It’s been a while since the last update, but we are finally reaching some stages where the build is really starting to take place! The parts are in, and we are all now working to get everything painted and installed.

Besides a few minor exterior accessories, we are building from the ground up, literally! We have started by installing new suspension, Alloy USA axles and ring & pinion and much more. We’ll let the photos do most of the talking this time around:

We’ve teamed up with famed Jeep® builder Dave Doetsch, who will publicly unveil his latest project Crush Recovery at the Off-Road Success Center presented by OMIX/Rugged Ridge at the 2012 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, October 30 – November 2.

Based on a 2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 4×4, Crush Recovery is designed to be the ultimate off-road vehicle to recover 4x4s stuck in the toughest terrain. Doetsch outfitted the Jeep with more than 60 of the latest products from OMIX’s family of brands including, Alloy USA’s high-strength chromoly axle shafts and Rugged Ridge XHD Modular Aluminum Bumpers and new half doors for Jeep.

Inspiration for the Doetsch’s Crush Recovery stems from both Jeep’s trusted reputation and unmatched versatility. Known as the most capable off-road vehicle on the market, the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 4×4 is the perfect choice for a go-anywhere, off-road recovery vehicle. Additionally, the new for 2012 Jeep color, Orange Crush, provides added utility and safety to Crush Recovery. The vibrant color stands out amongst the green and brown hues of the outdoors, making rescuers easily visible to those in need.

Prior to debuting to members of the press and professionals within the off-road industry at the 2012 SEMA Show at the OMIX/Rugged Ridge Off-Road Success Center, Doetsch will also preview the Jeep to select attendees of the 2012 Airpark Jeep Jamboree in Scottsdale, Ariz. on October 13. For additional information and progress updates on Doetsch’s Crush Recovery vehicle, please stay tuned to the Rugged Ridge blog at ruggedridgeoffroad.com/blog.

A lifelong off-road enthusiast, Dave Doetsch transformed an early childhood interest of monster truck racing to a full-fledged professional business, designing and building some of the off-road industry’s hottest vehicles. Using his degree in mechanical engineering, Doetsch’s expertise has taken him from the rocks in Moab to the halls of The SEMA Show. In fact, in 2010, Doetsch built an appropriately named vehicle, JeepZilla, that was showcased during Jeep’s inaugural win of SEMA’s “Hottest 4×4 of the Year” award. In addition to Jeepzilla, other well-known builds of his include the 2011 Black Widow and 2009’s SIKJeep, one of the first ever Jeep Wrangler JKs to be fitted with 40-inch-tall tires, and a vehicle that helped establish the ever-popular tall tire trend

Rick Péwé, Editor-In-Chief at Petersen’s 4-Wheel & Off-Road, has embarked on a journey across America in his 1943 Ford GPW. He started on the west coast, and is driving all the way to the Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival in Butler, PA. Rick is a member of the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame and has been a Jeeper since the first flat fender GPW he purchased when he was 15 years old (which he still owns).

Rick’s first stop along the way was the 60th Annual Jeepers Jamboree at the Rubicon Springs Trail. Rick participated in the trail rides in his GPW, and despite a couple of small issues here and there, this trusty old jeep lasted the entire event. To support Rick on his cross-country journey, we sent him tons of OMIX hard parts and replacement parts to keep the GPW going.

After the Jeepers Jamboree event, Rick hit the road toward Butler, PA to attend the Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival. He’s taking US highway 50 most of the time, and has been updating periodically with some great photos and stories. We will also be out at the festival, so if you’re there swing by to say hello, check out our new products, and see this GPW for yourself! For more photos and updates from Rick’s adventure, make sure to like Peterson’s 4-Wheel & Off-Road Magazine’s Facebook page!